How the Grinch Stole Riley
by BlueBell765
Summary: Takes place during GM a Christmas Maya. Riley doesn't take her friends' negativity or her boyfriend skipping town so well, and she cancels Christmas. Will the gang be able to bring her back? And maybe they can find their own Holiday Spirit along the way. A Rucas holiday story with some good friendship stuff mixed in.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: new story! This will just be a quick couple of chapters in response to Girl Meets a Christmas Maya. I plan on updating daily until it's done, which will be before Christmas Eve. Enjoy the Christmas fluff or at least I'm hoping for fluff! I'm not really a fluffy writer, so this is really just an experiment. Let me know what you think! Enjoy!**

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"You know who's the smartest man alive?" Zay asked, scratching his chin.

"Thank you, Zay," Farkle said, pleased someone recognized his genius.

"I wasn't going to say you, I was going to say Lucas."

"Why's Lucas smart? He's not even here. Oh!" His eyes widening at the realization.

"Yeah, where is Lucas?" Riley asked, usually her boyfriend was early to their hangouts at Topanga's.

"He went to Texas for the holidays," Zay informed the brunette.

"How could he have gone without telling me?" Riley asked, confusion evident in her voice as she furrowed her brow.

"Because this is his way out of Secret Santa," Smackle answered, practically shaking in delight.

"He knows even you can't reach him 2000 miles away," Zay teased.

Everyone laughed, except for Riley. She stood up, setting the box down on the coffee table with a decisive thud.

"You know what? I'm tired. If you guys don't want to do Secret Santa, if you want to small pinch me, if Lucas wants to get away from me, we don't have to do this. As a matter of fact, we don't have to do Christmas at all!" Riley declared, throwing her hands in the air.

"Riles, what do you mean?" Maya asked, the mirth gone from her voice, trying to decide if Riley was serious.

But Riley wasn't listening. She had pulled her phone out of her pocket, touching the familiar contact. She waited, tapping her foot impatiently, but as expected Lucas didn't answer.

"Just waiting for the beep," she murmured to her friends, who were all staring at her, wondering where she was going with this, various looks of confusion and concern on their faces.

"Hey, Lucas! It's Riley. I hear you left for Texas to avoid me and Secret Santa," she was still talking in her normal cheery tone, but she was fidgetting, her anger showing in her posture. "Well, I just thought I'd let you know, you're off the hook. You all don't appreciate my holiday cheer, so I'm canceling Christmas. Actually, I'm going to take it a step further and cancel us as well. At least I had the decency to tell you. Goodbye, Lucas."

She hung up the phone and walked to the door without a backward glance to her friends.

"Riley-"

"Sorry, Maya, it looks like if you want to have Christmas you're stuck doing it with your new family. I'm done."

The four friends watched as she left, the bells jingling on the door long after she was gone. The friends sat in shocked silence before Maya sprung into action.

"You!" Maya shouted, lunging at Zay. "You broke Riley!"

"Me?! You're the one who kept pinching her!" Zay accused, running behind his chair to create some distance between him and the fiery blonde.

"It probably didn't help that Lucas left without saying a word to his girlfriend," Smackle put in as Farkle scrolled through his phone.

"Yeah, this is all Huckleberry's fault!" Maya shouted.

"It's all of our faults," Farkle responded distractedly, not looking up from his phone.

He called Lucas, but instead of leaving a message when he didn't answer, he hung up and called again. When Lucas didn't answer a second time, he hung up and dialed the number one more time. He turned his phone on speaker, so his other friends could hear.

"Hey, Farkle! I just got to Pappy Joe's. Is everything okay?" Lucas said, sounding casual.

"Listen to your messages! Call me back!" Farkle abruptly hung up the phone before Lucas had the chance to say anything else.

A few minutes later, Farkle's phone rang.

"Where is she?" Lucas asked without waiting for anyone to say anything, not even a greeting.

"We don't know," Maya said into the phone as they all crowded around Farkle. "She just left."

"She's not answering her phone!" Lucas shouted.

Smackle and Zay tried to call her on their phones and got the same result.

"She must have shut her phone off," Maya said, finally realizing how much they had upset Riley after she didn't answer her either.

"Well, go find her!" Lucas insisted, sounding frustrated. He swallowed heavily. "Do something!"

Farkle took him off speaker and placed the phone against his ear. "I know you're upset, Lucas, but what did you think would happen? You left without telling her."

"I was trying to protect her. I didn't want to hurt her. I knew she would be upset that we were spending our first Christmas together apart," Lucas explained.

"It sounds to me like you were trying to protect yourself from having to see her sad, from listening to her yell or cry. You were just expecting all of us to pick up the slack and make her feel better," Farkle's voice was rising as his anger grew. He gestured for his friends to follow him as he left the bakery. They trailed after him in a small line, Maya taking up the rear as she desperately tried to call Riley over and over again.

"And you all did such a great job! You acted so awful, she canceled Christmas! Riley loves Christmas!"

"I thought you would be more focused on the fact that she canceled the two of you... Whatever that means."

"I think it means she dumped him, my love," Smackle called helpfully from her place directly behind him.

"She didn't dump me!" Lucas insisted. "She just needs some time to calm down."

"When has Riley ever calmed down about anything?" Farkle asked as they approached her fire escape. "We're at her house. I'll call you back in a few."

Lucas nodded even though no one could see him, hanging up the phone. He set the phone down on his nightstand, folding his hands on his lap. After fidgetting for a few seconds, he picked up his phone and tried to call Riley one last time. When she didn't answer, he left another voicemail. The first two he left simply said call me back.

"Riley, I promise you I'm going to make this right...I'm sorry."

He hung up the phone, sighing as he ran a hand over his face. Coming to a decision, he nodded his head, standing up.

"Mama! I need to talk to you," he called, racing through the house to find her.

When they reached Riley's window, her room was uncharacteristically dark and quiet. The Christmas decorations had disappeared, but the girl in question was nowhere to be found.

"That was fast. Her room was decked out like Time Square this morning," Maya said, trying to open window only to find it locked.

"Let's try the door. I'm sure one of the Matthews will buzz us in," Smackle suggested, already making her way down the ladder.

They made their way in relative silence, pushing the call button by the Matthews' apartment number.

"It's Farkle!"

"And Smackle!"

"And Zay!"

"And- Hey!" Maya shouted as someone had already buzzed them in before she could say her name.

By the time they got to the Matthews' apartment, Cory, in his own ridiculous Christmas sweater, was standing with the door wide open.

"What did you do?" he accused, sounding so much like his daughter, Maya couldn't help but smile.

"Where is she?" Farkle asked.

"Whoever do you mean? My lovely wonderful daughter, who left this house this morning delighting in the magical merriment the holiday season signifies?" Cory asked helpfully.

The four kids nodded eagerly.

"I don't know what happened to her! This strange girl, who has as much Christmas spirit as the Grinch, is most certainly not my daughter!" Cory exclaimed. "My daughter would _never_ do this to me!"

He moved out of the way to let the kids in, gesturing around the room, no one saying a word as they looked around the apartment in shock.

"Did you say she was like the Grinch? Or did you actually let the Grinch in here?" Zay asked, taking in his surroundings.

The ornaments had been taken off the tree, even the lights, leaving nothing but a bare tree with needles scattered all over the floor as if she had ripped them off in her haste to de-Christmas it. The lights that had been wrapped around the bay window and the doorways were falling down and flickering dangerously as if there was a short in them. The stockings had been left untouched, except for Riley's, which was noticeably missing.

There was a tray of Christmas cookies, but the heads had been broken off of all the gingerbread men. Garland littered the floor, and the knick-knack decorations that covered every available surface had all been knocked down.

"How did she even do all this? So fast?" Smackle asked in amazement.

Topanga, Auggie, and Ava pushed past the teenagers to enter the apartment, boxes of ornaments in hand.

"Found them!" Ava called out. "She threw them in the dumpster!"

"And there's Cindy Lou Who now!" Zay joked.

"Cindy Lou? What are you, new?" Ava asked in a condescending tone, rolling her eyes as she and Auggie proceeded to pull each ornament out, examining them for damages.

"We couldn't find Riley's stocking," Auggie said.

"Or Riley..." Topanga added, sounding worried.

"She's not here?" Maya asked, officially sounding alarmed.

"No! She came in, canceled Christmas, destroyed everything, and left!" Cory exclaimed. "So again I ask, what did you do?"

Maya shrugged guiltily, not making eye contact.

"Look what she did to her sweater!" Auggie cried, picking it up to display she had pulled a thread until the sweater was nothing more than scraps now.

"This is bad. Real bad!" Farkle shouted, pulling at his hair.

"She loved that sweater," Smackle pouted.

Maya was busy calling Lucas, who didn't answer. Leaving a message, she said, "Ranger Rick! Riley is MIA. I repeat Riley is missing in action. Also, she may have swapped bodies with the Grinch. Or perhaps Mr. Scrooge. Or the Heat Miser. Some kind of evil Christmas character has possessed my best friend. We need reinforcements!"

Cory sighed before coming to a decision, turning on some Christmas music. "You can't decorate or redecorate for Christmas without music. You guys want to help us get this back on track? Maybe by the time we're done, Riley will be home. Seeing all the Christmas lights around the city is sure to put her back in the holiday spirit."

Smackle, Farkle, and Maya came over, grabbing some ornaments. When they realized Zay hadn't joined them, they all turned to see him in the kitchen, shoving the broken cookies in his mouth.

"What? These are still ruined, right?" Zay asked around a mouthful of cookies. He shrugged before shoveling a couple more in his mouth.

Everyone rolled their eyes before returning to the task at hand.

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 **AN: I couldn't bring myself to finish watching Christmas Maya. Lucas would never leave without telling Riley. The kids would never be so mean to her to not want to participate in her Christmas traditions. Maya's condescending him "hahur" was enough to make me turn off the episode. I wanted to give Riley a Merry Christmas. She deserves it.**


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Thank you so much for the positive response! More at the bottom!**

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After Farkle explained to the Matthews and Ava what had happened at the bakery and Zay finished off the rest of the broken cookies, which he was sure to inform everyone that they weren't as good as his grandma's, the whole gang set about getting the living room back in order.

They each took turns requesting their favorite Christmas songs as they sang dramatically to one another. Pretty soon the apartment was starting to look like the Winter Wonderland it once was. The mood was somewhat dampened by the fact that there was a Riley-shaped hole in the room. They were all thinking about how much she would love all of them together, enjoying the holiday traditions.

They were having so much fun decorating, Cory decided they should redecorate Riley's room as well. Everyone agreed, except for Maya, who decided it was time she went home to spend a little time with her own family.

Somehow she had been tricked into getting into the holiday spirit, and it made her feel hopeful for her own Christmas miracle. Shawn had been living with them for a few months now, and even though he took frequent trips out of town for his work, he had still been living there long enough to understand the Harts special brand of crazy.

She had to make it work because if she didn't, Riley wouldn't be there to catch her. She tried to call Riley one last time before she left to no avail. She hugged Topanga and Ava, wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and promising to come back later on her way out.

Meanwhile, Zay was pouting because the cookies were all gone, so Topanga suggested they make some more when they were done decorating. Everyone agreed, and Zay found himself really excited to do so. When he was little, he used to make Christmas cookies every year with his mom, but one year they stopped doing it. He couldn't remember why, but his mom had stopped asking for his help a long time ago.

He decided tomorrow morning he would ask her if she wanted to bake cookies together. Maybe Mrs. Matthews had some new recipes they could try together. He was absolutely positive Riley had some. The thought of making cookies with his mom that he could then send to his grandma left him with a warm and fuzzy feeling.

Farkle had never been very big on the holidays, mostly because his parents were always so busy. The housekeepers always did all the decorating. Christmas morning was fun. His parents were usually off and they had a big fancy breakfast together. Sure there were presents, but when you had a train in your house, you tended to take those things for granted.

Decorating the tree with the Matthews, laughing, and listening to Christmas music, he decided then and there he was going to talk to his parents. Surely they could find time to decorate the tree themselves. Maybe his grandparents had old handmade ornaments from when his parents were kids like the Matthews had.

He sent his parents a quick text message, scheduling an early morning meeting with them before they left for work the next day. They both immediately replied with the time they had to leave and agreed to wake up an hour early to have breakfast together. He knew they would. His parents were very busy, very important people, but they always made time for him when he needed it. And he needed it. He needed Christmas. He had taken for granted how much Riley made Christmas magical for him all these years.

Smackle had never had a magical Christmas. She didn't believe in magic or miracles or Santa. It wasn't quantifiable. She had figured out Santa wasn't real when she was 3. She had asked her parents how Santa got around the world and they answered magic, and she knew. She knew magic was a code for not real or they didn't know.

She always wanted to know. She wanted the truth, the results, the knowledge. There was no truth to Santa. One year she wrote a research paper disproving Santa, but her kindergarten teacher didn't appreciate it.

Riley was the first person who ever made her want to believe just for the sake of believing. Every year from the day after Thanksgiving until December 26th, Riley filled her life with colorful Christmas sweaters, delicious treats, fun gifts, and music. Smackle didn't understand it. She couldn't comprehend why anyone would want to go through the stress of buying gifts and being in big crowds of people.

Christmas was not her thing, but being Riley's friend was. Even though it had only been a few hours, she missed her friend. She missed her sweater. Christmas could never be Christmas without her friends. All of her friends. She reached into her pocket and tried to call her one last time before they all left the apartment to go get ingredients from the bakery.

They all bundled up in hats, scarves, and gloves. Cory and Zay opted to stay at the apartment in case Riley came back. The snow was lightly falling on their short walk, which was made longer because Auggie and Ava kept stopping to try to catch snowflakes on their tongues.

When they found out Smackle had never done it before, they had to stop completely to teach her how. Topanga snapped a couple of shots, catching Smackle's delighted smile when she finally caught one on the tip of her tongue. She sent it to Mrs. Smackle, who immediately responding with her gratefulness.

The Smackles loved their daughter for who she was, but seeing how much she had grown and changed since she had met the other teenagers made them believe in miracles again. She had never had friends before, never even seemed interested it, but here she was, laughing and catching snowflakes! One day she might actually get married and have children, she might want that. She never wanted that before Farkle, Riley, and Maya.

Mrs. Smackle sent the picture to her parents with their apologies. They were going to spend Christmas in New York with their friends instead of going to the big annual Smackle Christmas reunion. Isadora hated the huge crowds at the airport, and she shrunk back around their large, loud, boisterous, family. Smackle would never smile like that in Vermont.

Topanga gathered everything they would need to bake a bunch of Christmas goodies, including hot chocolate and eggnog. Riley's secret Santa box was still sitting on the coffee table. As an afterthought, she grabbed that, too.

When they got back to the apartment, they all glanced around hopeful that Riley would be back, but Cory just shook his head sadly. The Christmas music was still playing, but much quieter in the background now. Zay had set up the kitchen, pulling out aprons for everyone. He was wearing a Holiday themed one that had the body of an elf on it.

"Okay!" Topanga said, clapping her hands together as Cory passed out various holiday aprons to the other kids. "I thought we'd start with sugar cookies and then puppy chow. I have these cute little boxes we can put that in. Then there's gingerbread men and no bake cookies. I have a cinnamon candy recipe. Oh! And fudge!"

She grinned widely. "When the cookies are cooled off, we can decorate them! I brought all kinds of icing and sprinkles and some little candies I got from the bakery. We'll make up little tins you guys can all bring home with you!"

Auggie nodded excitedly. "Oh! We should make some for Two Shoes! Riley would really love to give him some cookies! Maybe that will put her in a good mood!"

"How about we make little baggies we can hand out to our neighbors and friends?" Cory suggested, and everyone agreed.

They had just put their first batch of cookies in the oven when Shawn, Maya, and Katy came walking in the door.

"Cookies!" Maya shouted, rushing over to lick one of the many spoons.

"Maya told us about Riley's meltdown. We figured you might want some help, but it looks like you have Christmas cheer aplenty here," Katy said as Shawn took her coat to hang up.

Topanga sighed. "I almost feel guilty. We all should have appreciated how special Riley makes this time of year for us. She is always the first to give a thoughtful gift or bake cookies or make the house look and smell like Christmas."

She gestured to a row of holiday themed scent candles. "All Riley ever wanted was for all of us to have the Christmas spirit. She loves this time of year so much, and none of us took the time to appreciate that she keeps the true spirit of Christmas alive all year long."

"You guys don't even know where she is?" Shawn asked.

"I know where she is," Cory said cryptically, refusing to say anything more.

After a few hours of baking, decorating, and wrapping cookies, which led to an intense food fight, they were all covered in red and green icing and laughing hysterically. Maya finally noticed the Secret Santa box sitting by the tree.

"We need Riley back," she insisted. "We owe her an apology. I was so worried about ruining my first Christmas with Shawn I treated her horribly, and she was right all along. This is a really great time of year."

They all nodded, except for Zay who was staring at his phone with a silly grin on his face.

"What's with you, Babineaux?" Maya asked, playfully grabbing his shirt to get his attention.

"I think I know how we can get Riley back," he said, still grinning.

"How?" everyone asked.

"Lucas is on his way home, and he has a fantastic idea."

The whole group smiled just as widely as Zay had been.

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 **This chapter is like my montage chapter. LOL. I don't like chapters that have no Riley and no Lucas, but they didn't deserve Riley yet. Through missing Riley and experiencing the Christmas cheer she exudes all the time, they all decided to make changes to their own lives. Next chapter we'll figure out where Riley is!**

 **This story is a lot lighter than my other story, so I'm really enjoying the cheesiness. Expect more of that! See you soon!**


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: Thank you for all the love! I missed Riley in the last chapter, so I figured it was time to catch up with her! Enjoy!**

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Riley wandered around the city dressed in black leggings, an oversized black sweater, and her regular winter coat, not the beautiful holiday one that she bought to wear in December. It was the least colorful, least Christmas-y, outfit she owned. It was black to match her mood, and she blended in well with the rest of the people on the crowded New York streets.

She was aimless, not knowing where to go. She couldn't go home or back to the bakery. After her outburst with her friends, she had headed to her apartment and her parents informed her that sometimes her optimism and cheerfulness could be a little "much" for everyone else, that she shouldn't expect them all to be merry just because she was.

Cheerfulness was a cornerstone of the Christmas season! How could you have too much of it? How many times would people see her overwhelming belief in others and the universe as a bad thing? Lucas said the same thing to her on the first day of high school about those seniors, but she was right about those seniors. She was right now, too. They all should be together, giving each other gifts, spending time with family, and proving to each other how much they mean to one another.

She had looked around at the decorations she lovingly put up and the cookies she'd made, and something inside her snapped. She couldn't take it anymore. She canceled Christmas for her family as well. It all seemed fake to her now. Why should they pretend to be merry and care about each other and the world? Why should she force her feelings on everyone in her life?

Obviously, she made them all so miserable with her happiness that they would do anything to shut her up, including abuse her and flee the state. She just didn't understand it. She had to leave, had to get away from them for once.

Trying to think of places no one would go looking for her, she had gone to the library for a little bit, but that had brought back memories of happier, more hopeful times. She rode the subway aimlessly, but again she thought of Lucas, so she got off at a random stop and started walking. She had been walking for about an hour and was really starting to get cold. She thought about going to the mall, but she had spent all of her money on gifts for her friends and family, and she didn't think she couldn't handle seeing all the happy families.

She glanced around, trying to decide where to go as tears stung her eyes. She didn't know if she was crying from the cold or from her crappy day, but she knew she didn't want to start sobbing in the middle of the street. She realized she was pretty close to Josh's dorm, so she headed that way to see if he was there.

She knew he was planning on staying in New York for the holidays until her grandparents came. He was going to go home with them after Christmas for a week or two before the next semester. She knew he would probably wind up at her apartment for the few days leading up until his parents got here, so she was hoping to catch him before he headed that way.

She knocked on the door and sobbed in relief when she saw her Uncle.

"Riley? Is everything okay?"Josh asked, looking thoroughly confused to see his niece in such a state.

She lunged into his arms, closing the door behind her. She was crying so hysterically, Josh couldn't understand a word she said. She clung to him as if she were drowning and he was a log floating along in the storm. He would have laughed at her antics if he didn't know she was genuinely upset.

"Ri?"

She went to sit on one of the beds, sniffling loudly. "I am having a rough day," she gasped out.

He grabbed a box of tissues off his desk, offering it to her as he came to sit next to her. She took a tissue, blowing her nose loudly until she honked.

"Did someone die? Why are you wearing all black?" Josh asked, looking at his phone to see if he had missed a call or text from his family.

"Someone did die," Riley said seriously.

"What?" Josh gasped out in shock. He wracked his brain, trying to think of who it could have been. "Who?"

"Friendship died today. Love died. Christmas died."

Josh sighed in relief as fresh tears poured down her cheeks while she whaled, "Santa died today!"

He rubbed her back awkwardly, sending his brother a quick text to let him know Riley was safe. He said, "Riley, I hate to break it to you, but Santa can't be dead. He isn't real."

Riley rolled her eyes. "Of course he's real, Josh! He lives in all of us! We are all Santa!"

"Okay, then how can he be dead?" Josh asked, trying to understand Riley's rant.

"Because everyone killed him! They killed the spirit of Santa Claus and Christmas and fat baby Jesus!" She shouted, standing up.

"Riley, you're going to have to dial back the crazy and tell me exactly what happened so I can help."

"What happened? What happened?" Riley asked, pacing back and forth. "I canceled Christmas, that's what happened! Just move along to New Year's and a clean slate. We aren't celebrating it this year."

"Why would you do that? It's your most favorite time of the year! You love Christmas more than anyone I have ever met."

"Do you know why this is my favorite time of year?" Riley asked. Without waiting for an answer, she continued, "All year, I try to be Smiley Riley. I try to stay positive and be hopeful and be helpful. I volunteer, I give to the homeless, I'm a good daughter, a good friend. I go out of my way to be a positive influence on the world and those around me. At Christmastime, the whole world tries to be cheerful, not just me. It's nice that when I smile at a stranger, they smile back instead of looking at me like I'm crazy. It's nice that everyone wants to burst into song. The whole world is covered in twinkle lights."

She sat on the bed, losing steam. "But this year, Maya kept small pinching me and wanted to hide out from her family. She finally has the family she has always wanted, and instead of being thankful, she's running away! Farkle, Zay, and Smackle made fun of me, and they didn't want to buy each other gifts. They just wanted to tease me about Lucas! My family just went through the motions, and they took my friends' side! And Lucas... He went to Texas and didn't even tell me."

She stared down at her folded hands. "He just left. How could he do that to me? Why did he want to get away from me so badly? I thought we were closer than that, but ever since we started dating, he hasn't... I don't understand what I'm doing wrong."

She shook herself out of her musings, sniffling loudly and wiping away her tears. "So I decided I didn't want to do it anymore. Why should I force my idea of Christmas on them if they didn't want to be happy? Why should I keep the spirit of Christmas alive for them? So I walked away from all of it. I walked away from Lucas. I just wanted the outside world to be like my inside world. Is that too much to ask? That my friends be merry and jolly and believe at Christmastime? It's in all the movies!"

"Riley..." Josh said softly, wrapping his arms around her. "It sounds to me like the people closest to you have taken you for granted. They don't realize how much a person needs that positive energy in their lives because they have always had you to give it to them. They haven't been giving you what you need. They've just been taking."

Riley nodded, leaning her head against her uncle's shoulder. He looked down at his phone before he continued speaking, "But Riley, you shouldn't deprive yourself of the joy of Christmas just because your friends are being jerks. Come on, let's go for a walk."

"No," Riley pouted, crossing her arms. "If we go for a walk, you'll show me all the wonderful Christmas sights, and I'll get sucked in and want to celebrate, just like in the movies! Then I'll go home and those monsters will small pinch me until I'm back in Scrooge-mode. I don't want to believe again just to have them take it away from me."

"I won't let anyone small pinch you, Riley, and I won't let anyone take away your faith. You aren't doing anything wrong."

"Promise?" Riley asked as he helped her with her coat.

"Pinkie promise," Josh confirmed with a nod as they walked out the door.

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 **AN: You can't have the holidays without family! Uncle Josh to the rescue once again! Let me know what you think! See you soon!**


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: I'm overwhelmed at the positive response for this fic! Thank you so much for your reviews, follows, and favorites! There's so much cheese in this story, but that's the whole point of a Christmas story! It's so different from anything I normally write. I'm having a lot of fun with this fic. I hope you are, too. Enjoy!**

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Lucas nervously tapped his fingers against his thigh as he waited for the plane to take off. He just wanted to be back home. He needed to see Riley. 3 hours and 25 minutes until he was back in the same city as her. His heart clenched at the thought of being near Riley and not being with her. How had he messed things up so badly?

When he found out his dad would be out of the country for Christmas on business, his mom immediately suggested going to Texas for the holidays. She wanted to be around their old friends and extended family. They didn't have a lot of family, just Pappy Joe, an aunt, her husband, and their two kids. His twin cousins were 8 years old, and he had no desire to spend any time listening to them giggle or try to give him a makeover. One look at his mom, and he knew he couldn't refuse her. That's what she wanted, so he went along with it, even though he knew Riley would be devastated.

This was all his fault! He should have told her, should have made his departure a special occasion. He took the coward's way out, just like he had always done with Riley. He hated the idea of seeing her hurt, but Farkle was right he was only protecting himself. He just didn't want his last image of her to be a sad one. He was so sure his friends would make it alright for her, that Riley would be upset, but she would take it in stride like she always did. He was such a jerk.

Right after he got off the phone, he tracked his mom down and begged her to let him come back to New York. He even called Zay's parents and asked if he could stay there. Mrs. Babineaux adored him, so she readily agreed. His own mom, however, didn't want to let him go, insisting he spend the holiday with her. Thank God for Pappy Joe. The minute he mentioned hurting Riley, Pappy Joe agreed he should go back to New York and make things right with her. You don't want to lose a girl like that, Pappy Joe had said.

They had a small, rushed, early, family Christmas, and his mom moved her own flight up to the day after Christmas, promising they'd facetime in the days in between. Before long they were headed back to the airport, his cousins, comparing him to princes from their fairy tales in the backseat, their giggles bringing a smile to his face now that he was on his way home.

He rushed through security, giving his mom a kiss at the last possible moment, and waited for his flight, texting his friends to make sure the plan was in motion. He tried to call Riley one last time before they were told to shut off all electronics while the plane was taking off. She didn't answer.

He knew what happened between them didn't happen in a vacuum. His feelings for Riley had grown to such epic proportions he was worried he would scare her off, so he kept her at a distance. They were moving slowly, so slowly sometimes it felt like they weren't moving at all. 2 hours and 48 minutes until he was in her city.

Most of the time, when they went out on dates, Maya and Zay tagged along and so did Smackle and Farkle. His moments alone with Riley had been few and far between for months now, and mostly when they were alone it was only for a little bit. He wanted to respect her friendship with Maya. He loved their friends, so he never complained, but maybe he should have been. It's no wonder Riley broke up with him. She had no idea how much she meant to him.

How could she know how much he cared if he never showed it? If he could leave her without a word? It killed him that he wouldn't get to spend Christmas with her, so he made a joke to Zay about how at least he was getting out of Secret Santa, which was silly because unlike their other friends, he loved Secret Santa.

Every year, he waited for his turn to pick a name, shaking with anticipation, hoping he would get Riley, and so far, every year he got her. Well, to be fair in seventh grade, he traded with Farkle to get her. He loved watching her face light up with surprise when she opened the gift, loved being able to tell her the thoughtfulness came from him, loved that even when things between them were unclear he had an excuse to get her something special.

This year, he didn't need an excuse. This year, he planned, saved, and bought her an amazing gift. He planned on giving it to her at midnight on New Year's, to give her a happy memory after the mess New Year's started last year. He was going to give her a big speech about starting off this year right, starting it the way he intended on ending it.

He rubbed his forehead in frustration. Why was he such an idiot? Why did he think her kindness and understanding was limitless? He was just as guilty as everyone else of taking advantage of her compassion. 2 hours and 3 minutes until they landed.

How could he be so stupid? Once he got Riley back, if he got Riley back, he was going to change things. He was going to show her how he felt about her. He was going to insist their dates be their dates, not group dates. They would still spend time with their friends, of course, but he was going to devote himself to her. He would make sure Riley knew that, at least to him, their relationship was the one that was most important.

He was going to tell her how he felt, how he really felt, about her and hope to God it didn't scare her off. He had a long jewelry box in his pocket. It contained one of those charm lockets you could personalize. He opened the box, examining each charm- a subway car, a book, a princess crown, a purple heart, a bucket, a window pane, a leaf, a teddy bear... He even found a charm that looked like a purple jellybean and one that he thought resembled Pluto.

The phrase "Love is patient, Love is kind" swirled around the edge, and the back of the locket had an inscription "Riley & Lucas: The Beginning." The chain was called a "Close To Your Heart" chain because it was long enough to be tucked under your shirt and worn next to your heart. He thought Riley would love that.

He was surprised at how easy to was to find charms, the little locket filled up quickly. He even had to get rid of a few because it was too full- a pair of dice, a cowboy boot, a basketball, the Eiffel tower, a star, and a rose for the Romeo and Juliet play. He figured one day he could buy her a new locket, and by then they will have gone to Paris for real. By then they would go to a Knicks game together, they would have a happier Texas memory. He could see their future mapped out ahead of them, but it all started and ended with her. And it was all his fault that she had no idea he felt that way.

1 hours and 36 minutes. He put the locket carefully back in the box, sliding it back into his pocket. He hoped Riley would give him the chance to give it to her. After the surprise he had planned, he was sure she would forgive him.

Riley was too kind to hold a grudge. She would forgive him. She had to. It was Christmastime. She was the person who believed in magic and snow and mistletoe. She believed in peace on earth and goodwill to all. She donated to toys for tots, she knitted scarves for the homeless, she read Christmas stories to orphans. She was a Christmas Angel incarnate. She would believe in him again. She had to.

She deserved some of that Christmas magic, and he was going to give it to her. In 41 minutes. He smiled and closed his eyes, trying to will the time to go by faster. He couldn't sit here forever. He had a girl's heart to win back.

* * *

 **AN: Lucas to the rescue! I know charms aren't the most original gift, but I just got an Origami Owl locket and I'm in love with it! So if you know what those are, imagine that for Lucas' gift. Let me know what you think! See you soon.**


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: One more chapter left of this story! So excited to rewrite a little bit of GMW history! I have really enjoyed writing this one, and I'm hoping to have the last chapter out on Friday. Tomorrow is an important RL day for me, so I wanted to get this one out tonight. Thanks for the support! Enjoy!**

* * *

Riley tried to keep the smile off her face. She tried to stay grouchy, she really did, but Josh made it nearly impossible. First, he took her ice skating, patiently leading her clumsy self around the ice, keeping her from falling. Next, he took her to see Santa, and they both posed for a picture, sitting on his lap.

Then, Josh bought her hot apple cider and brownies shaped like reindeer. They went to the park and made a snowman, giggling and getting into a snowball fight with some kids. Then they found some carolers, and Josh convinced her to join them.

They sang up and down the children's wing of the hospital, giving out candy canes and Christmas cookies. Josh snapped some pictures with the group before they departed, wishing them a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

As they left the hospital, Riley felt lighter than she had all day. She really did love doing kind things for others. The only thing dampening her spirits was the fact that she knew Josh was guiding her back to her own apartment.

"Come on, Ri, we have to face them all some time."

Riley shook her head. "I'm still so annoyed and a little embarrassed that I trashed the apartment. Auggie didn't deserve that."

"I'm sure Auggie understands," Josh reassured her, pulling her onto the subway that would take them to her apartment complex.

Riley's eyes started to water up, sitting in the subway car. Josh rubbed her back, telling her to forget about Lucas.

"He is probably already thinking about a million different ways to grovel for your forgiveness. Don't waste your precious time being sad. Let's enjoy Christmas together. Screw everybody else."

Riley laughed. "Thank you, Uncle Josh! I normally have to drag Maya kicking and screaming to do Holiday stuff. Today has wound up being so fun."

"It really has," Josh said, grabbing her hand and leading her to a place to sit. "Let's make each other a promise. From now on, let's set aside a day in December and do all this fun Christmassy stuff together. I enjoy it, you enjoy it. We can have an uncle/niece day. Just the two of us."

"I would really love that, Josh." A mischievous smile spread across her face. "But you know, Maya will be extremely jealous. Maybe you should have a Maya/Josh day to make it up to her?"

"Look at you, you little matchmaker!" Josh laughed. "If it will make you happy, I promise I will spend some quality time with Maya before I head to Philly."

"If it will make _you_ happy, Uncle Josh, you should do that."

Josh nodded, standing up to exit the car at their stop. "I'll keep that in mind."

"I don't want to!" Riley whined, following him up to the street.

"Have a little faith, Ri!"

Approaching the apartment, Riley's reluctance had her slowing her steps to a snail's pace.

"Riley, I promise if you go up there and you want to leave, we'll leave. We'll go back to my dorm and watch Christmas movies."

"I'm holding you to that," Riley said, opening the door.

Walking into the living room, she gasped at what she saw. The house had been transformed into an idyllic Christmas scene. It looked even better than when she decorated it in the first place. There was soft piano music playing in the background and a large plate of cookies on the table, surrounding by smaller little goodie bags full of treats. A crockpot full of homemade hot chocolate sat on the counter, making the whole room smell sweet, and the bay window was full of Christmas presents.

She rushed over there, and her eyes widened, noticing her name was on every single gift.

"What is all this?" Riley asked, gesturing around the room with an awed smile.

Her parents, Auggie, Farkle, Smackle, Zay, Maya, Shawn and Katy piled into the living room from the hallway.

"We know how much you love Secret Santa, so we decided to do it a little differently," Farkle said.

"Each present is for you, but you have to guess who it's from!" Auggie said, grabbing a gift and handing it to her.

She shook it excitedly. "You guys didn't have to do all this..."

"Yes, we did," Maya said, coming to sit down next to her on the window seat. "We have all acted like jerks."

The present Auggie handed her was a little teddy bear.

"Auggie!" she shrieked. "You replaced Barry? Thank you!"

She gave him a hug and grabbed a small package that had birthstone earrings in them. She glanced around, knowing it had to come from an adult.

"Mom and Dad? Or Shawn and Katy?" she questioned, tapping her fingers against her chin in thought. Her dad couldn't stop smiling. "Mom and Dad! Daddy, you gave yourself away!"

She correctly guessed that Zay bought her some new headphones, Smackle got her a replacement Christmas sweater, and Farkle got her the latest book in a series they both liked.

There were three presents left, but when she reached for the smallest present, Maya smacked her hand.

"That one's last, honey."

Riley gave her a curious look before opening another present. This one was a black skirt that was short in the front and flowy in the back. She guessed Maya but was wrong. Maya got her a matching sparkly, red, sassy, halter top.

Riley laughed when she opened it. "To be fair, Peaches, you helped your parents pick out the skirt. This whole outfit screams Maya."

Maya giggled, giving her a hug. "Can you forgive us, Riles? This whole day we put the house back in order, got you presents, and really thought about what this time of year means. You've always known, and we've taken it for granted that you would fill our lives with the Holiday spirit."

"Thank you, everyone. I do forgive you. I forgave you before you gave me the presents. The fact that you took the time to do something thoughtful for me... All I've ever wanted was for everyone to enjoy this time and these traditions as much as I do."

"We do now. I'm going to bake cookies with my mom tomorrow," Zay said.

"And the Minki are going to decorate the tree as a family for the first time ever," Farkle added. "At least that's what I'm planning."

"My parents aren't making me go to Vermont! So we can spend the holidays just us," Smackle said, her excitement evident in her voice.

"And I realized I needed to give my new family a chance to have our own holiday traditions. You were right, Riles. Shawn's not going anywhere."

Riley gave Maya a hug, pulling all her other friends into it.

"It's a Christmas miracle!" she shouted. "You've all realized the true meaning of Christmas!"

When everyone was hugged out, Riley noticed the little gift. "Wait, what about this one? Josh, is it from you?"

"Sorry, niece, the day was my gift to you. Oh, and the framed picture of us with Santa," he said, pulling the picture out of his bag and giving it to her.

"Don't apologize. It was a perfect gift. A day filled with some of my most favorite traditions!"

She showed the picture to everyone, Maya giggling and blushing at the candid sight of Josh goofing off with Riley. His own face heating when Maya smiled in his direction.

"So who is this from? Mom?" Riley asked, shaking the box curiously.

Topanga shook her head. "Not me, honey. Why don't you open it and find out?"

Riley carefully peeled back the paper and found an ornate, silver, antique, key. When she picked it up, there was a note underneath it saying, 'Come to the roof.'

She glanced around at her friends and family, and they all had mischievous grins on their faces.

"You better do what the note says, Riles."

She hurriedly slipped her boots back on before running to the closet to grab her red holiday coat, along with her deep green scarf, hat, and gloves. Satisfied with her festive appearance, she gave Josh one last hug, whispering, "Thank you."

"Anytime, niece."

With a nod to everyone else, she walked out the door and climbed up to the roof access.

She opened the door, taking in the sight of twinkle lights hanging all across the roof and ledges and electric tea lights on every available surface, giving the whole roof a soft, comforting glow. There was powdery snow coating the ground and holly and garland lining the edges, and right in the middle of the magical scene, there was Lucas, wearing a hopeful smile and holding a sprig of mistletoe over his head.

* * *

 **AN: Squee! I had this image in my head of Lucas waiting for Riley, and I couldn't shake it. What did you think? I'm working on the last chapter, and I promise I'll have it up at some time on Friday.**

 **I didn't want to go too heavy on the friendship apologies, and I know our dear, sweet Riley wouldn't need much to forgive them, so I thought this feel in line with the lighter mood of this story.**

 **I'll see you soon!**


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: This is it! Hoping you love it! More at the bottom. Enjoy!**

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"Hi," Lucas said softly, lowering his gloved hand after Riley stood in shocked silence for a few moments too long for his liking.

"Hi," Riley breathed back, still wondering if the sight in front of her was real.

"Hi," Lucas said again, sounding a bit nervous. Riley hadn't moved from the doorway, and she was just staring at him, shock written all over her face.

"Surprised?" he asked, and Riley nodded, not saying a word. He took a hesitant step toward her, but when she took a small step back, he stopped, afraid she would bolt.

"Riley, can you please come sit with me so we can talk?" he asked, gesturing to the bench, but she shook her head, still unsure about staying up there with him.

She didn't want to forgive Lucas, and she knew if she sat there and looked at his eyes and that smile, she would. Maybe she was wrong, maybe he didn't want to get back together, maybe he was just trying to salvage their friendship. So, she closed the door, taking a small step out on the roof but coming no closer than that.

"Okay..." he said, putting his hands in his pockets. "I guess we can talk like this. Did you like my surprise downstairs? I know you can't be bought with gifts, but I figured the thoughtfulness would mean something to you."

Riley nodded in understanding but still didn't speak. "I'm so sorry, Riley. I have done so many things wrong these last few months, but especially the last few days. We always said we could talk to each, and I ran away without telling you. You have every right to hate me forever."

"I don't hate you," Riley mumbled, unable to let that comment slide.

Lucas sighed in relief at her words and her voice. "Well, you should. I acted like such a jerk, and I don't even have a good reason for doing it. I didn't want to disappoint you, and I had this whole plan for coming back on New Year's and giving you this magical night to make up for it..."

He took a step toward her and this time she let him. "But it's unfair of me to just assume you'd be here waiting. You've waited on me enough this past year. I should have told you I was leaving. I should have told you a lot of things. I'm so sorry, Riles."

Riley nodded, looking down as tears threatened to spill from her eyes. When she wasn't looking, he rushed to her side, one gloved hand coming under her chin to force her to look at him as the other went to her cheek to wipe away her tears.

"I screwed up. Please, Riley. I don't want to end the year this away. We have worked so hard and come so far-"

"Then why did you throw it all away, Lucas? Why were you so careless with my feelings? With my heart?" Riley asked, turning so she could break away from the hold he had on her.

"Because I'm an idiot. Because I can't stand to see you cry. Because my feelings for you terrify me," he offered, pleading with her as he came up behind her.

She turned around with fire in her eyes. "And don't you think I'm scared, too?"

She shook her head, holding her hands up to keep him from touching her. "I can't keep doing this, Lucas. I can't keep falling for you and not being caught."

Lucas grabbed her shoulders. "I'll catch you. I promise. You can count on me now."

"How can I know that?"

Lucas looked down, reaching into his pocket. "Because I lost you 10 hours ago and they have been the worst 10 hours of my life. I don't want to go another minute without you in it."

He pulled out his gift to her. "Merry Christmas."

She took the box, opening it and gasping at the locket as she read the inscription on the back. "The beginning?"

"Please say we have more than a beginning, Riley. I want more. I need more."

She turned the locket over, examining each charm and thinking about their friendship, the past 2 years, and every moment they had ever shared. The subway car was easy to spot- where they first met, where they first kissed. A book to represent the library, where they first connected. The princess crown was a reminder that she would always be a princess to him.

She laughed at the sight of the bucket, thinking back to a time when she threw one on his head and questioned his worth. A window, which symbolized her whole life and every important bay window conversation she had ever had. The leaf she gave him and the purple jelly bean he gave her. She understood the teddy bear, remembering the conversation they had when she lost Barry.

She stared at the purple heart and the bright blue ball, not a hundred percent sure what they meant and the inscription around the edge that read 'Love is Patient, Love is Kind.'

Her brows furrowed, attempting to decipher what he was trying to say. what the locket meant.

"The ball and the heart?" she asked.

He laughed, grabbing the locket and running his fingers over it. "That ball is supposed to represent Pluto. I know we talk about what we believe all the time, but when you told me you believed in Pluto, I started believing in you, Riley, and that heart? It's mine. I'm giving it to you because you've had it from the moment you walked down to meet me in the subway station in that purple dress on our very first date."

"Love is patient, love is kind," he read, taking the antique key she still held in one hand and sliding it onto the chain. "That key represents the key to your heart, and when you're ready, I want you to give it back to me. I promise I won't be so careless this time."

He turned her around and put the locket around her neck. "The chain is long so you can always keep my heart close to yours, where it belongs. When you're ready, I'll do the same."

He reached under his collar and pulled out the empty chain he was wearing around his neck. "I want to cherish and protect your heart... Riley, _you_ are patient and kind, and I... I love you. I'm in love with you. I don't want scare you off-"

He stopped talking as he watched her take off the locket, disappointment clouding his features. He pushed too hard. He was too late. He turned away, staring out over the city that he only loved because she was in it, unable to watch her walk away from him.

When her deep green gloved hand touched his arm, he looked down at it with tears glistening in his eyes. She tried to get him to turn around, but he didn't want to. He couldn't handle it if she gave him the locket back.

"Lucas..." she said gently.

"Riley, I-" he started as he finally faced her. He stopped talking when he saw that she had the locket back on. His mouth stood open in awed surprise as he noticed her tiny hand, holding the key out to him.

"You should have this back," she said, giving him a hopeful smile. "It belongs to you."

She reached up around his neck, unclasping his chain and sliding the key on it before clasping it back, letting the key fall with a thud onto his coat. His arms automatically slid around her waist like they belonged there. She kept her hands around his neck, playing with the hair at the nape shyly.

She looked up into his eyes, taking in his shock and amazement. She glanced down at the key, biting her lip. Slowly, hesitantly, she said, "I love you, too, Lucas. I'm in love with you."

She finished with a whisper, "Please take care of my heart."

He leaned in, capturing her lips with his. They had kissed a few times, mostly to say good night after a date, but this kiss was entirely different. It wasn't chaste, and it certainly wasn't a goodbye. It was slow and sweet and full of the promise of a million more kisses. It was the kind of kiss that felt like coming home, like a summer's rain and a blazing fire all rolled up into one.

Riley didn't know how long they kissed, but when they pulled away both were smiling.

"I take it this means you forgive me?" Lucas asked.

"Oh no! Definitely not, Cowboy. You need to do a lot of groveling! Some serious apology groveling," she teased.

"Riley!" Lucas groaned, placing his head where neck met her shoulder. "I can't stand it! The thought of you being mad, of you not being mine, of you not kissing me!"

Riley grabbed his chin, giving him a short kiss. "Who said we couldn't kiss? Or that I wasn't yours?"

He smiled. "But you are still mad?"

"I'm still mad," she confirmed. "But I still love you, and I still want to be your girlfriend, that is if you still-"

"Oh, I still! I very still! I will always choose you, Riley. Always."

He grabbed her hand and began to lead her back into the apartment when the snow started to gently fall in the sky. She stopped, pulling him back into her arms.

"Let's stay out here just for a little while longer. I love watching the snow fall."

Lucas nodded, kissing her once more. "Merry Christmas, Riley."

"Merry Christmas, Lucas."

* * *

 **AN: So that's it. My Christmas story wrapped up in a neat little bow. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. If it seems too easy for Riley to forgive, that's because it is. She is a good person and her heart would be full at Christmastime. Tell me what you think!**

 **I'm hoping to update Tipping the Scales sometime this weekend, but I will be very busy the next few days, for obvious reasons. Enjoy your time with your families and loved ones, and if this time of year is hard for you, I pray you find comfort and peace.**

 **Merry Christmas Eve Eve!**


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